640 



Till'; Kii.i.Di'.i",!-;. 



willi (.'xcix ^vniptMin of di'lii^lu. slu' (|iiirknR'(l lu-r ]iace, takiiii; s^und care to 

 gain distance mi her diipo. When a cImzcii Icti nr iiiorc rcniii\cd. she rose 

 and |)altei"ed a\va_\' In tall in audlher premeditated swDon at tweniw At fifty 

 feet she rose with sparkling eyes and a merry "Ha, ha." to tlit a\\a_\' to parts 

 nnkuown. 



'I'lic ahsurdit}' of this ]irocess consisted in its faithful repetition with all 

 psychological accompaniments, as often as I pleased. The hird never tired of 



I'liolo by the Author. 



Sl'XlkU li\ I'OSSICSSIOX. 



the tragic ganie, nor >eemed to reali/e that it was a game whose secret I knew 

 all .along. It seems as if we might h;i\'e becomi' better .acqn.ainted in time: 

 but no. 1 must be treated ,'is an ogi'e lo the last. 



But now ;i (I;mgei' less f;inc)fnl lhrealen^. W aim d.ays h;i\e melted the 

 snows in the lUue Moiint.aiiis, and the ri\er begins slowly to rise. A back- 

 water arm curls lazilx' around our gro\e. lloods it. ;iiid be;irs a shower of 

 \ello\v catkins on its breast. We lia\e a canoe, .and mo\e to higher ground. 

 'J'he water rises steadilv, four feet in li\e d;i\-s. The field of the Killdeer's 



